this was the first verse to be revealed in this concern. it is included in sûrahash-shu‘arâ (chapter 26 – the poets) which relates the story of moses [aws] from his early days of prophethood going through his migration with the children of israel, their escape from the pharaoh and his folk, and the drowning pharaoh and his hosts. this chapter in fact narrates the different stages that moses [aws] passed through in his struggle with pharaoh and the mission of calling his people unto allâh. moreover, it includes stories that speak about the terrible end in store for those who belied the messengers such as the people of noah, ‘ad, thamud, abraham, lout and ahlul-aikah (companions of the wood). (a group of people who used to worship a tree called aikah)

chronologically, this chapter belongs to the middle makkan period, when the contact of the light of prophecy with the cultural milieu of pagan makkah was testing the makkans in their most arrogant mood. the message that this chapter communicates is in brief: "the truth is insurmountable. when the spirit of prophecy came to makkah, it was resisted by the votaries of evil; but truth, unlike falsehood, is bound to stay, whereas falsehood is surely perishable."